My name is Hunter and I just moved to Austin, Texas after spending the past two years in Fort Myers, Florida. I was born and raised in the Holy Land of Dairy – Wisconsin. Which led me to have a heightened appreciation for cheese, Wisconsin sports and cold beers. For those who don’t know much about Wisconsin, *i’ll tell ya what, up der in the good ol’ cheese state* you’ll find the nicest people you have ever met alongside a mind-boggling selection of beer and some bitchin’ bar bites.
*To be read in a heavy northern accident
Between moving across the country with my significant other- twice, raising our pup Luna, progressing our careers, and traveling to see family, friends and new places… I’m learning a LOT. I’m learning what I love and what I don’t; what brings me peaceand what lights a fire inside me. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs but through it all I’m finding this ironic yet beautiful –balance–.
No, this isn’t a post about lining up a nice drive down the fairway written by someone who doesn’t know how to spell “golfing”. Instead, this is my take on what I would consider to be one of the best road trips I’ve been on. The first week of June my crew and I (girlfriend+dog) made the trek along America’s Gulf Coast from Southwest Florida to (what is now our new home) Austin, Texas.
When you are forced to stay at home for months on end you have a lot of time to plan all of the things you’re going to do when the world opens back up again. PTO days were stacking up from not being used during the stay at home orders and I couldn’t just let them sit burning a hole in my work-benefits pocket. So, we picked out a weekend to make the 40+ hour round-trip drive with Luna.
The 11.5 hour drive from Fort Myers to NOLA was far better than expected both in ease of navigation and scenically. As you drive up 75-North you’re surrounded by patches of greenery as well as stretches of ocean and bays. The closer you get to Tallahassee the more varied the terrain becomes as you drive through hilly roads that you wont find in the flat landscape of SowFlo. Driving through Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana is a straight shot on I-10 West. As you approach the city of New Orleans you’re greeted by massive oil rig equipment reaching into the gulf to the south and bridges that hover over the bayou in front of the city skyline. We were fortunate enough to arrive to this scene with a backdrop of the sun setting over the water. Being the Dave Matthews Band fans that we are, we had to turn on DMB – Louisiana Bayou as we entered the city (video below).
At the time of visiting, New Orleans was in phase one of reopening so bars were not yet opened and most restaurants were takeout only. I’ve never been to New Orleans but I’ve seen videos and heard how crazy the city can get during big events, like Mardi Gras. We knew the city wasn’t going to be in full swing but I anticipated it being a little busier than it was. By the time we got settled into our room and Luna was put to bed it was around 11pm. We ventured out to Bourbon street and there was only one restaurant/bar open: Drinkery. Seeking out some native New Orleans grub we settled on Buffalo Fried Oyster Po Boy and a Hurricane and were not dissapointed. After we ate and had a few drinks we walked through the French Quarter and made the most of our time before heading back to the room for some much needed shut-eye.
The next morning we got up, packed our things and loaded up the car to head to Austin. Before leaving we stopped at Daisy Dukes Cafe for a Bloody Mary and a crawfish omelette, it was good (but probably not good enough to offset me realizing I left my credit card at the restaurant when getting gas hours later, *facepalm*) The drive to Austin was about 9 hours, and the first night we stayed with a friend of mine. As we were debating what to do for the night over a few beers we decided first things first..when in Texas gotta have some TexMex. We ordered some Torchy’s Tacos and woah..best tacos I have EVER had.
Now into the halfway point of our trip, we started out the day with some great breakfast at Java Cafe and a hike near Barton Creek in West Austin. Luna loved being able to stay cool in the Texas heat by splashing through the water. There were plenty of spots to stop and relax along the creek but also some busier watering holes where more people congregated. A few hours at the creek and it was time for us to check into our next AirBnB at the Domain.
Our first night in the Domain area we went to Cyclone Anayas for some margaritas and more TexMex (in the form of bacon wrapped jalapeno shrimp this time, see below). After dinner we invited our friends over to pregame and check out the bar scene in the Domain. We found two cool bars, the first must not have been that cool because I forgot the name but the second was called 77 Degrees. For it being a quarantine the place was packed, and me having high risk tolerance, I loved it. Now, when you’re from Wisconsin it is part of your genetic code that when you reconnect with friends who are also from Wisconsin you have to binge drink to celebrate (I didn’t write the rules). The next morning we got some much necessary fuel in the form of a smoothie, did some shopping and then went to Terry Blacks BBQ for yet again one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We wrapped our trip up and headed back to Florida the next day.
Through and through, this trip was certainly not a bad way to get out and enjoy the world after being limited from it for so long. The trip left us in love with the Austin area. And a few months later my job announced that due to the pandemic they would be extending work-from-home until late 2021 and offering permanent remote opportunities. With an expiring apartment lease in October and us being so enthralled by the Austin area, in November 2020 we decided to move to Round Rock, Texas. I’ll write about our experience moving cross-country and being Round Rock residents in a later post.
We welcomed our canine companion home on April 16th, 2020. Everything about Luna seemed to happen in just the right way. From finding her, the timing, and the dog she is turning out to be. Getting a new dog wasn’t supposed to be on the agenda for 2020. My girlfriend and I knew we wanted a dog in the future and already decided that the perfect one for us would be hypoallergenic, calm temperament and active enough for us to explore the world with us. The goal was to work this year to pay off some student loans and get comfortable in my new position at work. Come 2021 I’d have some money saved up, success and comfort at work and enough time to designate towards training our pup. But then in March of 2020.. *the Pandemic has entered the chat*..
We are fortunate enough to have jobs that could transition rather seamlessly to remote work. The initial transition was a bit stressful but quickly became feasible and even preferred compared to the office in some ways. Being a very social and adventurous couple we decided to make the most of the quarantine by enjoying the time to relax and recharge for when things got back to normal. However, the quarantine lasted longer than expected.. we were looking for something productive to keep us busy and entertained outside of work. Boredom spurred a few preliminary Google searches for “puppies near me” and then “hypoallergenic dogs” and eventually “Bernedoodles”.
After doing research on the Bernedoodle breed it became evident that this would be a perfect breed for us. A hypoallergenic dog with high intelligence, loyalty and mild activity levels, sign me up! …in 2021, I thought. I started looking up bernedoodles for sale on a few of the certified sites for puppies just so I could know what to look for when we were ready to pull the trigger on one in a few months. Bad idea. I pretty quickly found a few cool bernedoodles and was curious how long, on average, they were available before claimed. I found that the tri-colored bernedoodles we were looking for generally were taken quickly, usually within a few days of their availability.
During my search I came across a puppy named ‘Yang’. She was the cutest one in the litter and her name stuck out to me because I have a Yin-Yang tattoo on my right arm. I showed her to my girlfriend and she fell in love instantly. I explained that the dog met the criteria of what we were looking for and when we were ready we could find one similar. After spending the next few days thinking of the implications of having a dog we decided it was as good a time as ever to raise a pup of our own while we had extended time at home. We decided to reserve ‘Yang’ and when we got her changed her name to ‘Luna’. These are her adventures.
First Photos We Saw of Luna
Live, Laugh, Luna
Beach Day
Fort Myers Beach, FL
Luna’s first time on the beach. Loved splashing in the water and digging holes in the sand. Didn’t go deep enough to swim but she’ll get there!
Puppy Paradise
Chillin’ at home
Toys are of no shortage at casa de Hunter & Lacy. The green rug is the perfect place to chew on toys and relax. Unfortunately the green carpet also resembles grass, a potty training horror story.
Sunshine going to wash my blues away
Bonita Springs Dog Beach for the sunset
Luna is a full blown Mer-dog (Mermaid Dog) now since our previous trip to the beach and this would be our last beach trip in Florida before we move to Austin – *soaking it all in*
Suns Out, Tongues Out!
Going for a fall walk around Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas
Exploring our new digs in Austin. The leaves were changing colors and Luna had a new haircut to showoff
Cheesehead (plural cheeseheads) (slang) A person from Wisconsin. (slang) A fan of the Green Bay Packers (an American football team of Wisconsin), some of whom wear foam hats shaped like wedges of cheese. (slang, derogatory, ethnic slur) A German, Dutch, or Scandinavian person
Wisconsin was home for me until I was 23 years old and in 2018 I decided I was ready for something new. I found a job opportunity in Fort Myers, Florida in tech sales. My girlfriend and I packed up everything we owned and drove 1,500+ miles to start our new lives in the sunshine state. The new environment I was in elevated my sense of self-awareness to the level of pride I had from being born and raised in the state of Wisconsin. I knew there were great things about Wisconsin as I was living there, but certain areas became more evident when they were no longer present in my everyday life.
For those who don’t have extensive experience in Wisconsin the state can lack curb appeal. A textbook definition will tell you that Wisconsin is a suburban, middle-class, conservative state predicated on a strong blue collar working class. The Winters are brutal and last far too long. There is a decent amount of farmland, and per capita Wisconsin produces the most dairy product, which in conjunction with the Green Bay Packers spawned the term ‘Cheesehead’. However, this term has expanded to not only describe a Packer fan, but as shown above refers to “A person from Wisconsin“. Up to this point I haven’t mentioned (m)any factors that would cause the average individual to be prideful in a Wisconsin upbringing. So why is being a ‘Cheesehead’ something to be proud of?
Great Question! When I look back at what I miss most about Wisconsin I was able to bucket it into three main areas: people, sports, and entertainment. This is high level and my personal opinion based on my experiences thus far as a relocated young professional in my mid-twenties. My take is obviously subjective to your personal interests, and specific location within Wisconsin. But, here it goes..
We’ll start with people, the people in Wisconsin are just nicer. It’s not a popular destination for people to relocate to or even travel to so the people there are homegrown and family orientated. The values instilled here often carry into relationships, so friendships and intimate relationships tend to be more genuine and longer lasting.
Now sports.. Having like minded fans to attend and watch games with always adds to the excitement of the game. With Wisconsin professional sports the passion that backs this fandom is next level. When I talk sports, I am referring to the big three teams that I follow most closely, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and -quite possibly the greatest professional sports franchise of all time – the Green Bay Packers.*
*Honorable mention: University of Wisconsin Badgers
The Brewers have not historically been a great team, but recently have had some competitive runs in the post season. With the Brewers it’s great to see us doing well but what makes this team so fun to follow is the Miller Park (soon to be AmFam Field) experience. Miller Park was built in 2001 and was one of the first stadiums to have a retractable roof, meaning no games would be cancelled (unless theres a pandemic). Milwaukee is notorious for best in class tailgate parties, getting friends and family together to enjoy cooking out, corn-hole, and cold Miller beers all before catching the game itself.
The Brewers will always bring in a crowd whether successful or not but with our recent emergence as a World Series contender they are even more fun to follow. The Brewers have made some impressive moves in free agency over the past few years that have brought us back into playoff contention. The most notable moves: Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. Yelich was the 2018 NL MVP and Cain was the 2019 Golden Glove recipient. Both helped contribute to the Brewers 2018 NLCS Run. Unfortunately Yelich was injured in September of 2019 and the Brewers fell short in the playoffs to the Washington Nationals who went on to win the World Series. The future remains bright for the Brewers as they enter into their 50th season in Milwaukee.
Now for the Bucks. If you’ve been following the NBA over the last five years there is no team that has risen in the ranks as quickly and consistently as the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis is the the saving grace for the Buck’s franchise. In 2013 the NBA told the Buck’s organization that they needed to build a new stadium in order to keep the team in Milwaukee. After some debate the Fiserv Forum was approved and opened its doors in 2018. The approval of this new 550 million dollar stadium was in large thanks to the man that many NBA analysts are saying could one day be the best basketball player to ever live, the Greek Freak.
The result of the 2017-18 season was the Bucks being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. However, Giannis was voted the Most Improved Player in the NBA. The next year MKE brought in Coach Mike Budenholzer, who went on to win NBA Coach of the Year. During the 2019 season Giannis was hungry to prove himself and the Bucks as a serious contender in the Eastern Conference as they concluded the regular season with a league best 60-22 record. The team advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where they fell short to the Toronto Raptors who went on to win in the Finals. Although the season did not end as the team would have hoped at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season there was some positive news as Giannis was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. The Bucks finished the 2020 season in the Bubble after a long break in the middle of the season, this proved to be detrimental as they fell short to the Miami Heat in the playoffs. Giannis however secured a second MVP and DPOY. With the 2021 season now underway and following an off season where we brought in some great players such Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, DJ Augustin as well as a few promising rookie talents in Jordan Nwora and Sam Merrill.
Green Bay Packers
Head down Lombardi Avenue in Titletown (Green Bay, WI), and you’ll pass the Frozen Tundra, the most iconic stadium in all of professional sports – Lambeau Field. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a place and during an era where the Green Bay Packers are a dominant force in the National Football League. With any professional sports team, with fandom comes the ups and the downs. I’ve experienced some heart breaking losses that hit just a little harder when you are a die hard cheesehead. But when it’s time to sit back and analyze the situation, I couldn’t be more fortunate to be a fan of the Green and Gold.
The Packers have one two super bowl titles within my lifetime, one from the 1996-97 season with “The Gunslinger” Brett Favre at the helm and another from the 2010-2011 season with Aaron Rodgers under center. Winning a Super Bowl in itself is a rarity in the NFL, only 20 franchises have accomplished the feat.
The history of the Packers organization is unique and homegrown. It’s easy to root for a team that comes from a city of a little over 100k people when most NFL teams are the homes to at LEAST double the population. The Green Bay Packers are also the only team in professional sports to be a publicly owned and not-for-profit organization and are owned by 360,760 stockholders as of 2016. Owning a share of Green Bay doesn’t translate into any decision making power due to the articles of incorporation but it gives fans the ability to directly support their team and feel as though they are contributing to the success the Packers achieve.
Nearly every bar or restaurant plays the Packer game on Sundays (or the occasional Thursday/Monday) in Wisconsin. Finding a seat at a sports bar can be a difficult task of its a high leverage game. Where the Packer fandom really comes evident is the city of Green Bay on game-day. It doesn’t matter if its -10 degrees, snowing and the Packer are eliminated from playoff contention, every Packer game sells out. In fact the Packers have sold out every game since 1960 and to attain season tickets there is an average wait time of 30 years with over 115,000 names on the waiting list. Yes, you read that right.
Lambeau Field and the city of Green Bay on game-day is the best sports environment I have ever experienced. Start the day with a coffee and a solid breakfast and then it’s time for a famous Wisconsin Bloody Mary and some brats. There are live bands and kiosks set up everywhere, homeowners fill their yards with vehicles for fans to park in, the streets are flooded with green and gold and you can hear “Go Pack Go” chants echoing throughout the city. If you get the chance to see a Packer game at Lambeau field you wont want to miss out on the opportunity to live like a Cheesehead.
Lambeau Field MNF vs Atalanta Falcons 2014 Packers Won 43-37
I recently decided to follow through with a tattoo idea that I’ve been toying with since high school. The theme of the piece below is reciprocation and balance, which is illustrated throughout the design in a way that uses representative symbols unique to me.
Family Tree
The tree symbolizes the roots of who I am and what i’ve grown into. There are eight branches interwoven and spreading in different directions, one for each member of my immediate family. Both of my parents remarried at a young age which resulted in a mix of step parents, and siblings. None the less, these are the familial pieces that have grown with me but also in their own directions as life goes on. As the tree grows there are leaves that die, branches that may break, animals will come and go but the tree still continues to grow.
The tree in the design is called a Mimosa tree, which is a subtle recognition to my mother who has created somewhat of an identity around the classic brunch beverage – mimosas. Not in a crazy-party way however, it came about because she pronounced the drink “me-mosa” and her friends wouldn’t let her live it down. Its become the go-to move to get her mimosa inspired gifts for her birthday and Christmas. We always have champagne and OJ at any of our family get-togethers and I love a good mimosa at brunch on a Sunday morning. It’s safe to say that mimosas have claimed quite the multi-layered appreciation in my life.
Lone Wolf
A wolf symbolizes the ability to be strong independently but also have the ability to travel in a pack. In the design the wolf is located close to the Mimosa tree to show his loyalty to his family(pack). Behind him are palm trees which signify me currently living in the City of Palms and going from a cold climate in Wisconsin to a tropical climate here in Florida. We always had badass wolf pictures and decorations at our house growing up because my dad admires wolves for their strength and fearlessness. This wolf is an ode to my father as he always instilled good values in me, pushed me to be the best I could be, have a strong work ethic and never quit on myself.
Yin and Yang
“Yin-Yang is described as the actual process of the universe and all that is in it. It is the belief in a cyclical theory of becoming and dissolution. Composed of competing and complementary forces of dark and light, sun and moon, male and female, heat and cold, optimism and realism”
The wolf howls at the moon with the Yin illustrated on it, which signifies my zodiac sign: Capricorn; which encompasses cold, dark and earth. The Yang in the moon symbolizes the opposite which is, heat, sun and light, the balance necessary in life. The Yang in my life is represented in multiple ways but possibly the strongest is in my relationship, as my significant other is a Leo zodiac sign and enhances the necessary balance in my life.
Tiki Head
The tiki head stands next to the Mimosa tree and symbolizes protection. Island tribes would often put up tiki heads outside their villages to keep out unwanted visitors. This translates to my life because I will will always do everything in my power to protect my family and the ones I hold closest. Another occurrence of balance appears here. The tiki head has a wedge of cheese on top of his head, this combines a traditionally tropical artifact with a Midwestern accessory to demonstrate the pride of my hometown roots in Wisconsin mixed with the appreciation of the tropical environment where I currently reside. For anyone wondering what in the hell a cheese head is, I explain the significance of a cheesehead here.
Fire Dancer
The fire dancer that is the located in front of the tree is the center piece of the design. This is yet again a symbol of balance, quite literally by the silhouette balancing on one foot but it goes deeper than that. The fire dancer is an ode to Dave Matthews Band a group that has consistently been present in my life since early high school. As the leaves fall off the tree, representing parts of my life that I have outgrown or have died off, they burn away. The figure that is dancing has found balance within, even in the midst of the blaze it is engulfed in. This shows that no matter how chaotic life can become we can find peace within ourselves and “dance” through the chaos we ensue.
Hunter's Happenings 